Hi all,
I thought I would share some misfortune with everyone. I know most people who come here are here to do research and avoid these types of mistakes. But then some people don't listen to what they don't want to hear. A fellow moved into a space below mine several month's ago. He owns a landscaping business and feels there is a need for window boxes made of Azeks on such a scale that he would invest in a shop to produce them.
First he bought a Swift 4x8 CNC machine. He asked myself and the owner of the building who has a large FL to help him unload it and get it into his shop. I asked which machine and has he given a lot of thought to moving it. "Oh it shouldn't be a problem its 4x8". Ah ok, I volunteered to help him out, now I know I at least will have entertainment for the day. Well needless to say it proved a nightmare. We finally managed to get it into the building but as I told him after seeing it there was no way it was going in his door with out a professional rigger. So the machine sat for 3 weeks till it was dismantled to a point where a professional rigger could move it the rest of the way. Cost of no proper planning 3-4 weeks of production. He is also lucky not to have damaged the machine in the move.
Second mistake was when we moved in the 5hp laguna pflex dust collector. It's in pieces but I'm familiar enough with the machine that when I asked him where it was going and the orientation I pointed out that would put the inlet facing the neighbors wall. "What"! Ah yea dude I hope you didn't pay the electrician to much to wire up your shop because it looks like your going to need to rearrange some things. 2 Weeks of delays.
Lastly I peaked in yesterday as I have still not see or heard him producing anything. It's been 4 month's since he rented the space and about 6 weeks since the initial move of cnc. I see he hung his ductwork off the electrical conduit for the lights and immediately tell myself that ain't going to fly with the owner. Then I notice the ductwork itself. It's a 15 foot run of 8 inch light gauge HD crap and it's totally collapsed! I wish I snapped a photo. I've read this could happen but I've never seen it. Didn't look like it stood a chance.
I've moved my shop twice and am in the process of setting up a basement shop in the house. I know mistakes get made and its inevitable that despite planning you end up relocating a machine or wishing it was somewhere else. But come on, I feel bad for him but I kind a don't.......